Quietly in the background, though, is second-round pick Demetrius Knight Jr. fighting for a starting gig next to Logan Wilson. Knight, who has made a point to learn from Joe Burrow as he goes, continues to make a push alongside new arrival Oren Burks, the veteran the Bengals signed in free agency.

The implementation of a rookie wage scale in 2011 has largely ended contract holdouts of draft picks, with a couple of exceptions.

When the 49ers were on the clock with the 11th pick in the NFL, their selection seemed to come down to two big defensive ends -- Mykel Williams and Shemar Stewart.